Telegram-herald., 1887-10-06
THE CENTRAL SCHOOL
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For years there has been more OF less talk
smong people interested iD school matters
about moving the Eigh School building
down from the hiu 10 q more accessible
site. II never ought 20 have been pat
there Its monument 70 the folly OF
the school Board OF 1851" Its location
is responsible for the death Of many
young lady 1T Kills more than the con-
sumption. and similar remarks have eeen
heard quite frequently for the psss htteen
OF twenty years aud now and then when
some particularly bright and promising
pupil siekened aud died and her death was
charged directly TO having climbed The hill
and stairs % the upper aower of the Cen
trail School three " four times a day for
several years, people would set up a great
howl and some of them would rush into
PRINT. denounce the building a. q death trap
and condemn the Board OF Education for
not taking steps 10 move il down 10 point
nearer the average level of the city. Not
withstanding all this the building has re-
manned on the hill for nearly twenty years
and people who have been in
timately connected with the
schools claim that ia that
time at least hundred girls have died from
the effects OF climbing the hill and stairs,
and hundreds have been made miserable
inyalids for life. The matter has been dis
cussed by the Board OF Education, but no
definite sction was ever taken until after
the present Board was organized.
Now that Committee has been sp-
pointed 10 consider the feasibility Of bring
ing the school down 10 .roper level, the
question is asked Where are you going 10
put itg' and the Trustees are unable TO Il We
u definite answer. They can buy suitable
site Of course If they have money enough.
but that IL will cost al eItrayagant sum Is
shown by the experience OF the Board
Of Supervisors in their efforts 10 secure
site Tor a court house. Ia discussing the
matter of location the sites that were Offered
last Winter a. eligible for the court heuse
are mentioned. Some favor the Hatch
property. ~ the foot of Lyon Street hill;
some the church property, for which the
Supervisors have been negotiating; Others
think the lot should be larger and favor
buying the north half, or more, of the block
bounded by Crescent-ave.. Ottawa, Lyon
and Kent SITS; while there are others who
think that it should go further north, say
on Bridge-st.. and still others who say that
it should be located On North Division-st..
near the churches, or IL the vi
cinity OF Fulton Street Park. Then
the West Side is 10 be heard
from aud il is understood that their repre-
sentztives will insist that the most accessi-
BILE and centrally located site is the one Of
fered for the court house on Summer-st.,
between Allen and Vslley-sis.
From the above il will be seen that there
IS likely To be considerable difficulty in Sc
lectiEg a new location, but another and
more serious difficulty confronts the Trus-
tees. What will We do with the old lot
and builcing?" is what bothsrs them most
just now. The east half of the old site is a
part OF Kendall's addition. while the west
half is formed OF lots /, 2 3. 4. s and
8 of Dexter Fraction. This property
Was decided to the city many years
ago and il is claimed that some
of the deeds contained clause providing
that whenever the city ceases TO use the
property for school purposes 1t rever,s TO
the parties who donated it for a school
house site. The records of most of the
deeds were destroyed when the county
records were burned in Jsnuary. 1850. and
whether the deeds themselves can be found
is problem which Secretary Mills. OF the
Board of Education, will try 10 solve before
the next meeting of the Board.
II il Is found that the old lot and building
can not be sold and the proceeds used TO
pay for new site, the project will probably
be dropped at once, and the girls will
continue to climb the bill, with
the aid of the cable cars. Many of
the residents on the Hill and several
of the Trustees will oppose the removal of
the school even If il is fourd that the pro-
perty may be sold. They do not believe
that the health Of the pupils is injured by
climbing the hill, but claim that 1t is climb
ing the stairs in the building that does the
injury, and instead of changing the locs-
ton they would build q new building on
the present site. or supply the old building
with elevators or provide some more con-
venient and less laborious way of reaching
the upper floors.
alderman Eisenharit voiced pretty
nearly the general sentiment of the people
on the hill yesterday when he said: Il do
not think it necessary 10 change the loca-
ton of the Central School. ] under
stand the cable road people will make
very reasonable rates for pupils Of the High
School. will make the rates 80 low in fact
that the poorest pupils will be able 20 tide
to school. and when their lines are COM
pleted north to the u. & NJ. depot south 10
Hall-st., ont Grsndville-sve.. over I'm the
Eighth ward, and out into the Sixth ward.
pupils from any section Of the city can
easily reach the school. The building ought
TO be remodeled but don't think 1t should